A man who fled the Kelowna Courthouse in a stolen van Aug. 24 is the same man who is now accused of causing nearly $10 million in property damage in the already fire-ravaged areas of Sorrento, Scotch Creek and Celista. 

Pierre Wesley Nault, 25, of Edmonton is facing a string of criminal charges in both Kelowna and now as a result of alleged arson, theft and impersonation offenses Aug. 28 and 30 in the Shuswap. He appeared in Kamloops Court this morning where a judge ordered him to be held in custody until his next court appearance Sept. 11.

Nault was on the run from RCMP at the time the Shuswap arson spree took place. He was initially picked up by police after getting into a scuffle with officers when he was allegedly attempting to steal their vehicles from a 7-Eleven store in Rutland on Aug. 23. The next day, with agreement of Crown and defence lawyers, Nault was to be released from custody pending an initial meeting with a bail officer. Instead he fled the courthouse and stole a nearby van. 

RCMP had thought the fugitive might be in the Peachland area, after Nault appeared to have left a note to staff at his former workplace. A search for Nault on that day, which included the use of an RCMP helicopter, turned up nothing. 

On Aug. 30, Nault was arrested in connection with igniting two fires in the Sorrento area and six others in Celista, including homes, a commercial building, sheds, and vehicles. 

An Internet response to Kelowna stories about the search for Nault, which claims to be from his sister, says: "My brother is very sick and may not be taking his medication. He is not thinking clearly, if anyone sees him please call the police immediately, his family misses him very much."

The arsonist’s undoing appears to be his underestimation of the close connections between residents in a rural area.

RCMP are crediting a sharp-eyed local volunteer firefighter with tipping off police, after the suspect stole a Ministry of Forests vehicle in Celista, donned a government uniform and pocketed ministry identification left in the vehicle.

“We are so fortunate that an alert volunteer saw the truck, knew who it really belonged to, and saw that the driver was not the person who should be driving it. He advised police of this information and the description of the vehicle and that constable was able to stop the vehicle and arrest the lone occupant without incident.” says RCMP Cpl. Dan Moskaluk. 

When the man was stopped by police in the Ministry of Forests vehicle, the suspect was wearing a Forestry baseball cap and a dark green Forestry fleece. He calmly produced two pieces of ID, including a B.C. Drivers Licence and a Forestry employee card. The photos did not match the driver’s appearance and the man was also behaving oddly.

He was arrested immediately, but police had to spend time tracking down the man's identity.

Nault is being linked to fires lit Aug. 28 in the Sorrento area, including a lakefront home on Waverly Park Frontage Road which burnt to the ground and the destruction of a travel trailer in Blind Bay. It is believed the man attempted to steal a boat moored in the water near the lakefront home, but was thwarted by the quick actions of the boat owners. Instead of getting the expensive boat, the man then fled the area by rowing away in a small Fiberglas boat located on the shore nearby. He was spotted wearing all black clothing and carrying a backpack with a white hard hat attached to it. 

Approximately four hours later, the structural fire was reported in almost the exact area where the botched theft took place. The abandoned residence on a multi-million dollar property burnt to the ground; however the Shuswap Lake Volunteer Fire Department was able to prevent the blaze from getting into the heavy forest surrounding the structure. 

Then a second arson spree began in the early morning hours of Aug. 30, this time in the Celista area, when a series of blazes started at approximately 12:45 a.m.

A member of the Chase detachment was en route to a report of a vehicle fire in the 4800 block of Squilax Anglemont Road, when a second fire was reported nearby in a shed in the 4400 block of Jack Trotter Road. Officers had yet to arrive at the first two fires, when a third fire call was received. This time the Sun Beach apparel store on Evans Road was fully engulfed. Then a fourth call reported that another shed has been lit ablaze in the Jack Trotter Road area. 

“It is unsettling to note that the forensic examination of the scenes in the cases where outbuildings were ignited, revealed evidence to support the belief that the intention was to also ignite the homes on those properties,” said Moskaluk. 

Later on Sunday, Police received reports of an attempt to burn a structure under construction and another vehicle. 

The items destroyed by fire included a 2009 Nissan Maxima, a 1996 Pontiac Bonneville,  the two-storey Sun Beach commercial building and one shed. One shed and a partially constructed home were damaged in the fires. 

“Given the current wildfire situation in the immediate and surrounding area, these incidents are the last thing that fire crews and police alike need to contend with. We are extremely fortunate that none of the property owners nor first responders were injured in the incidents. The Celista, Scotch Creek and Anglemont volunteer fire departments and local RCMP detachments, who all have been working extensively in assisting with the area wildfires, were certainly taxed further Sunday morning,” stated Moskaluk.